Análise proposicional quantitativa aplicada à pesquisa em administração

The analysis of interviews with open-ended questions is a common practice amongst researchers in the field of Management. The difficulty therein is to convert the linguistic data into categories or quantitative values for subsequent statistical treatment. Proposals made to this end generally entail counting lexical occurrences which, since they are founded on previously established meanings, fail to include semantic associations made by interviews. This article aims to present an analysis tool comprising a set of techniques apt to generate linguistic units that can be statistically described, compared, modeled and inferred: the Quantitative Propositional Analysis (QPA), Its main difference from other such methods lies in the choice of a proposition - and not the lexical unit - as analysis unit. We present the application of this method through a study about the international expansion of retail firms.

Musical genres: beating to the rhythms of different drums

Online music databases have increased significantly as a consequence of the rapid growth of the Internet and digital audio, requiring the development of faster and more efficient tools for music content analysis. Musical genres are widely used to organize music collections. In this paper, the problem of automatic single and multi-label music genre classification is addressed by exploring rhythm-based features obtained from a respective complex network representation. A Markov model is built in order to analyse the temporal sequence of rhythmic notation events. Feature analysis is performed by using two multi-variate statistical approaches: principal components analysis (unsupervised) and linear discriminant analysis (supervised). Similarly, two classifiers are applied in order to identify the category of rhythms: parametric Bayesian classifier under the Gaussian hypothesis (supervised) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (unsupervised). Qualitative results obtained by using the kappa coefficient and the obtained clusters corroborated the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Competitive artistic gymnastics: reflections about gymnasts` development

The current study is a piece from the original project entitled ""Diagnosis of the Developing Program of Artistic Gymnastics in Brazil"". Among other issues discussed in this main project, our objective was to investigate the development of the gymnast who are entering the intensive training and are potential to be representative to national teams. We interviewed 46 coaches from 29 sports institutions in Brazil. Regarding methodology, we used a semi-structured interview and for data treatment we adopted the content analysis proposed by Bardin (2004). We could evidence that coaches have concern regarding many aspects of the children development, and have been trying to equate sports demands with gymnasts characteristics and needs.

Women`s feelings about early contact with their infants on the labour ward

Objectives: to identify women`s feelings after early contact with their newborn infants in the delivery room, and to identify how health professionals involved in mother and infant care behave in the intrapartum setting. Design: a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews and observation. Content analysis was used to derive the three themes that emerged from the interviews. Setting and participants: 23 postpartum women and their caregivers in a public maternity hospital in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Findings: three thematic categories emerged from the interviews: heightened fear, severe pain and intense conflict. The professionals` actions revealed that they have theoretical and practical abilities for humanisation of care, but their actions are fragmented. Final considerations: women can feel lonely, fearful and conflicted in the delivery room, and they also experience pain. Giving birth is a major event in a woman`s life, so it is important to facilitate a positive experience. Health professionals were found to display interventionist and impersonal attitudes; these influenced the potential choices of women at their first contact with their infant. Implications for practice: the focus of health care needs to extend beyond the institution. This means fewer normative actions performed by health professionals, enabling women to enjoy their early contact with their newborn infants. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the evolution of sustainability reporting in the mining sector

Since the 1990s several large companies have been publishing nonfinancial performance reports. Focusing initially on the physical environment, these reports evolved to consider social relations, as well as data on the firm`s economic performance. A few mining companies pioneered this trend, and in the last years some of them incorporated the three dimensions of sustainable development, publishing so-called sustainability reports. This article reviews 31 reports published between 2001 and 2006 by four major mining companies. A set of 62 assessment items organized in six categories (namely context and commitment, management, environmental, social and economic performance, and accessibility and assurance) were selected to guide the review. The items were derived from international literature and recommended best practices, including the Global Reporting Initiative G3 framework. A content analysis was performed using the report as a sampling unit, and using phrases, graphics, or tables containing certain information as data collection units. A basic rating scale (0 or 1) was used for noting the presence or absence of information and a final percentage score was obtained for each report. Results show that there is a clear evolution in report`s comprehensiveness and depth. Categories ""accessibility and assurance"" and ""economic performance"" featured the lowest scores and do not present a clear evolution trend in the period, whereas categories ""context and commitment"" and ""social performance"" presented the best results and regular improvement; the category ""environmental performance,"" despite it not reaching the biggest scores, also featured constant evolution. Description of data measurement techniques, besides more comprehensive third-party verification are the items most in need of improvement.

Observations on the diet and feeding habits of the epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum (Bonnaterre), on Heron Island Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The diet and feeding habits of the epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, were investigated through stomach content analysis. Five groups of prey items were found. The index of relative importance showed worms and crabs,to be of greatest value at 51.3% and 40.1% respectively. The three minor prey groups were shrimps (7.7%), small fishes (0.7%) and amphipods (0.3%). Epaulette sharks tend to be crepuscular, although feeding bouts may occur at any time. They appear to be opportunistic predators, using olfaction and electroreception in prey capture. This species appears to be an important benthic predator in the reef flat environment on Heron Island Reef.

Caring for someone with dementia in a rural town .1. Family and friends

Caring for someone with dementia at home is a difficult task. Support services call do much to assist carers. However, ill rural areas these may not be readily available or accessible. This paper reports on a qualitative study ill which a group of carers living in a rural community participated in a focus group and interviews. Issues explored included the carers' experiences of caring, and the effects of rural life on this, Through content analysis of the data, it was found that these carers faced many challenges but were also able to access a number of supports, particularly in terms of family and the local community.

Caring for someone with dementia in a rural town .2. Services

Dementia care in rural areas is in need of attention from researchers, planners and policy makers. Family carers in these areas face some significant challenges, in terms of managing the care where support services are often unavailable or inaccessible. This paper reports on a qualitative study in which a group of rural based carers participated in a focus group and interviews. Through this process, the carers' perceptions of support services were explored. Content analysis of the data revealed that, despite a number of supportive aspects of rural life, these carers felt in need of more services, a finding supported by current literature.

Teaching Psychodynamics to Psychiatric Residents through Psychiatric Outpatient Interviews

Objective: This study evaluates whether a course that was designed for first-year psychiatric residents and that specifically addressed psychodynamic principles fostered residents` progress in knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding these concepts. Methods: The course was given in the 2005 academic year to all residents (N = 18) in their first psychiatric postgraduate year at the Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The residents were assessed in the first and last sessions of the course through a written test that was blindly rated by two independent judges. Residents were also interviewed to observe whether psychodynamic concepts had been integrated into actual practice. Their responses were subjected to content analysis. Significance was tested using analysis of variance or nonparametric tests when necessary. Agreement between the judges was tested using intraclass correlation coefficients. Results: The judges demonstrated a high level of agreement. The difference in mean scores before and after the course was such that the total score increased by a mean of 2.5 points (total test score was 10 points). Additionally, residents started to undergo personal psychotherapy after the course. They reported that this course had markedly improved their relationship with patients. They emphasized the opportunities for self-reflection and gaining insights into themselves and patient treatment issues. Conclusion: This initial study indicates that this educational method can effectively promote psychodynamic knowledge, skills, and appropriate attitudes for managing psychiatric outpatients among residents. The course was very well received by the residents, and a similar method can easily be instituted within other residency programs that pursue integrated teaching methods.

Reproductive biology of the eastern shovelnose ray, Aptychotrema rostrata (Shaw & Nodder, 1794), from Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia

The eastern shovelnose ray, Aptychotrema rostrata (Rhinobatidae), is an endemic batoid common to the east coast of Australia. The reproductive cycle was studied in Moreton Bay, south-eastern Queensland, over a 14-month period. Aptychotrema rostrata is an aplacental yolksac viviparous species with an annual, seasonal reproductive cycle in Moreton Bay. Females mature at 54-66 cm total length, and males at 60-68 cm total length. Gravid females were observed during September-November and parturition occurred in November-December. Vitellogenesis does not proceed in parallel with gestation. Ovulation and copulation probably occur during July-September, resulting in a gestational period of 3-5 months. Uterine fecundity ranges from 4 to 18, with a significant positive relationship between uterine fecundity and maternal body length. In mature males, a peak in the proportion of mature spermatocysts in the testes was observed in July, whereas gonadosomatic index peaked in April.

Comprometimento no trabalho de gestores p??blicos em uma autarquia estadual no Brasil

O objetivo deste artigo ?? compreender a percep????o dos gestores, que atuam com o planejamento estrat??gico de uma organiza????o p??blica, sobre o construto de comprometimento no trabalho, bem como a influ??ncia dessa percep????o em suas pr??ticas cotidianas de gest??o. Para tanto, realizou-se, inicialmente, pesquisa bibliogr??fica focando quest??es relacionadas ao sentido e natureza do construto, bem como sobre os estudos realizados sobre o tema do comprometimento no contexto da administra????o p??blica. Em seguida, foram coletados dados com gestores mediante entrevista com roteiro semiestruturado, os quais foram analisados por meio da t??cnica de an??lise de conte??do. As evid??ncias indicam que os gestores associam o v??nculo ao trabalho a quest??es atitudinais e de inten????es comportamentais e que suas pr??ticas cotidianas s??o influenciadas pela percep????o de comprometimento dos indiv??duos, admitindo que as decis??es tomadas, motivadas por essa percep????o, podem trazer consequ??ncias negativas tanto para a organiza????o quanto para o indiv??duo.

Metas do Conselho Nacional de Justi??a 2012/2013: uma an??lise dos contornos gerenciais assumidos pela reforma do poder judici??rio no Brasil

Este artigo tem como objetivo avan??ar no estudo do processo de reforma do Poder Judici??rio brasileiro, o qual se insere no processo de reforma do Estado p??trio. A partir das contribui????es de Osborne e Gaebler (1992) e Abrucio (2006), buscou-se tra??ar um paralelo entre as l??gicas gerencial e fiscal e esclarecer como as mesmas refletiram nos indicadores de efic??cia, efici??ncia e efetividade do Poder Judici??rio no Brasil. Para atingir o objetivo proposto, optou-se por utilizar como m??todo a an??lise de conte??do de Bardin (2002), pela regra de enumera????o do tipo frequ??ncia, buscando, com isso, observar o papel que o Conselho Nacional de Justi??a exerceu nesse processo e a l??gica do plano de metas estabelecido pela institui????o para os anos de 2012 e 2013. Como resultado, observou-se que as metas estabelecidas para o bi??nio buscaram implantar uma gest??o mais eficaz nesse n??cleo estrat??gico do Estado, com ??nfase na celeridade processual, gest??o administrativa e informatiza????o dos procedimentos. Percebeu-se que a l??gica gerencial continua exercendo grande influ??ncia no modelo de gest??o adotado. Como novidade, verificou-se a inser????o de indicadores de efetividade, os quais podem permitir aproximar os objetivos dessa esfera de poder com os da sociedade brasileira, repercutindo na elabora????o de metas futuras.

Nova gest??o p??blica e motiva????o no servi??o p??blico: a carreira de EPPGG como alternativa para as disfun????es burocr??ticas

Este artigo visa compreender at?? que ponto as pr??ticas gerenciais incorporam as dimens??es da satisfa????o e motiva????o no trabalho de servidores p??blicos na atualidade. Aborda os modelos de administra????o burocr??tica e gerencial, exp??e as disfun????es do modelo ideal da burocracia weberiana, apresenta a motiva????o para o trabalho e suas implica????es, e evidencia a carreira de Especialista em Pol??ticas P??blicas e Gest??o Governamental (EPPGG) no intuito de apresentar uma alternativa poss??vel de proporcionar satisfa????o e motiva????o no trabalho, por meio do enriquecimento do cargo. A metodologia consta de uma pesquisa qualitativa, na qual se fez uso de entrevistas semiestruturadas aplicadas junto a tr??s EPPGG. Utilizou-se da an??lise de conte??do com uso da t??cnica de categoriza????o para a an??lise os dados. Os resultados demonstraram a satisfa????o e motiva????o dos gestores, a preval??ncia da administra????o burocr??tica com fortes ind??cios da administra????o gerencial e aus??ncia de disfun????es burocr??ticas. Evidenciaram que o modelo da nova gest??o p??blica, uma vez implantado conforme descrito na teoria, pode combater disfun????es burocr??ticas e contribuir para a satisfa????o e motiva????o dos servidores p??blicos. Destaca-se a relev??ncia de estudos posteriores, visto que foram apontadas diversidades de condi????es de trabalho de ??rg??o para ??rg??o e dificuldades enfrentadas no in??cio da carreira.

"O que fazer quando o coração aperta?" A dinâmica conjugal pós-infarto

O trabalho investigou a dinâmica das relações conjugais após ocorrência de Infarto Agudo do Miocárdio em um dos cônjuges, a fim de identificar possíveis alterações na interação e no papel de cada cônjuge. Foram entrevistados 06 casais (30 a 53 anos casamento): 03 homens enfartados, 03 mulheres enfartadas (ocorrência entre 1,5 a 8 anos), com roteiros diferenciados para o (a) enfartado e o (a) companheiro. Nas entrevistas priorizamos: interações pessoais e conjugais pós-infarto/ diferenças de gênero. A análise de conteúdo evidenciou que predominaram nas relações conjugais aspectos que remetem ao papel tradicional de gênero, embora a dinâmica conjugal tenha sofrido algumas alterações frente ao impacto do infarto, por exemplo: aumento da divisão de tarefas domésticas, homens tornaram-se mais caseiros, mulheres começaram a participar da administração financeira, maior aproximação afetiva entre o casal. Tais considerações apontam que a ocorrência do infarto foi avaliada positivamente pelas mulheres em função das alterações de papéis e negativamente pelos homens frente às limitações e dependência.

Exus e pombas-giras : o masculino e o feminino nos pontos cantados da umbanda

Trabalho realizado durante a vigência de bolsa de produtividade em pesquisa/CNPq.